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During his visit to Australia, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh toured the strategic naval facility HMAS Kuttabul and co-chaired the first India–Australia Defence Industry Roundtable in Sydney. The two sides reaffirmed their resolve to expand industrial collaboration, innovation, and technology partnerships to strengthen security across the Indo-Pacific region.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the historic naval facility HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney, highlighting India’s growing maritime synergy with Australia. Accompanied by Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil, he was briefed on the facility’s operational capabilities and taken aboard Admiral Hudson on the state-of-the-art facilities at Sydney Harbou. The visit reaffirmed both nations’ focus on enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and promoting a secure Indo-Pacific.
Later, Singh co-chaired the first-ever India–Australia Defence Industry Business Roundtable, a major initiative to expand cooperation from strategic convergence to industrial collaboration under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) launched in 2020.
Addressing industry leaders, Singh described India and Australia as “co-creators of a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” emphasising that industrial cooperation—particularly joint R&D, co-development, and innovation—remains the most promising area for growth. He invited Australian companies to partner in developing technologies such as propulsion systems, autonomous underwater vehicles, and advanced materials.
The Minister underlined India’s transformation into a major defence manufacturing hub, with production reaching Rs 1.51 lakh crore (USD 18 billion) and exports at Rs 23,622 crore (USD 2.76 billion) in FY 2023–24. He credited reforms like ‘Make in India’, PLI schemes, and liberalised FDI policies for driving this growth.
Singh also highlighted joint research between DRDO and Australia’s Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG) on towed-array sonar systems, as well as ongoing discussions on AI, quantum technologies, cyber defence, and information warfare.
He cited existing industrial partnerships—such as Indo-MIM with Thales Australia and Tata Advanced Systems with W&E Platt—as examples of the two nations’ complementary strengths. Indian shipyards, he noted, could also support the Royal Australian Navy’s refit and maintenance requirements, especially under the Pacific Maritime Security Programme.
Welcoming Canberra’s proposal for a reciprocal defence logistics and services agreement, Singh called for joint initiatives in green shipbuilding, autonomous platforms, and supply chain diversification. “The time is right to move from potential to partnership,” he said.
The Roundtable was jointly organised by the Ministry of Defence (India), Australian Department of Defence, Newland Global Group, and the Australia–India Business Council.
Team BharatShakti
